This past semester at UMass Boston I had the opportunity to work with amazing professors from all over the world. The amount of diversity on campus is something that I will always cherish. I began my days this passed semester trying to learn a fourth language, which went amazingly well, until I started my Italian final exam presentation in Spanish! After Italian, I learned about Moral Issues in Medicine with the most brilliant professor who also grew up in a tiny island, but her little island was off the coast of England. Later, I learned about fascinating Social and Political Thinkers with a professor from Israel, who knew way too much information about the Peloponnesian war. My favorite class this semester was Immigration Politics, which was taught by an incredible professor who was born and raised in Mexico. Lastly, I ended my days in a cultural food studies class that specialized in Indian cuisine due to the fact that my professor was an Indian chef!

This semester I also had the opportunity to spent time in New York city visiting the United Nations Headquarters learning about public policy. All of these opportunities would not have been possible without the amazing support I have from MVYouth. Thank you to MVYouth for the continued support, I cannot wait for all the opportunities the next three semesters have to offer.

Although the year was full of ups and downs, my first semester of sophomore year was on of the best so far. This semester, I discovered my passion for critical thinking, and declared my major in Ethics, Social, and Political Philosophy in hopes to one day fulfill my dream of becoming an immigration lawyer. I have also declared a minor in Human Rights, and Spanish Language. I have so many exciting and challenging classes to look forward to in the upcoming spring semester, together with an opportunity to job shadow the Assistant District Attorney at Middlesex County District Attorney's Office! All these amazing opportunities are made possible thanks to the MVYouth community, I just want say how grateful I am to be able to finish every semester strong, because school is my only job and priority.

This past semester at UMass Boston has been full of exciting experiences and opportunities. Attending a University that is so close to the heart of Boston allows for classes to extend beyond the four walls of the classroom and into the city. My English class ventured into the historic city on a hill and explored places such as The Boston Athenaeum, Museum of Fine Arts, and Mapparium. If it weren’t for this English class I would not have gotten to know Boston as well as I do now and been introduced to resources such as The Boston Public Library, where I now spend many afternoons preparing for my classes. Living near Boston has also allowed me to broaden my perspective on life and society beyond the Island which is incredibly valuable, since growing up on the Island led to a relatively sheltered childhood. All of the opportunities I now have within my University are possible thanks to the MVYouth scholarship. This scholarship has allowed me to attend a University that challenges me intellectually, while also presenting opportunities to grow as an individual in a diverse environment where there is much to be learned from my peers and the city nearby.